Campus politics to be banned for good
Govt brackets politics of students, teachers as major hurdles for education; UGC drafting law
Shakhawat Liton and Rashidul Hasan

The government has initiated a move for a permanent ban on politics of students and teachers in public universities and colleges, in a significant bid to restore proper atmosphere for education.
Since January 11, all political activities have remained banned under the emergency rules while the University Grants Commission (UGC) is drafting a law that will restrict politics in educational institutions even after the state of emergency is withdrawn, sources said.

The education ministry that directed drafting the law, identified students' and teachers' politics as a major obstacle to suitable atmosphere for education.

A seven-member high-powered committee headed by UGC Chairman Prof M Asaduzzaman and comprising educationists and legal experts, which is preparing the draft law, is likely to submit it to the education ministry early next month.
Apart from imposing a ban on students' and teachers' politics, the draft will include some provisions to ensure accountability of the teachers by introducing a system to evaluate the teachers' performance by the students.
"No students' and teachers' organisations will be allowed to use party slogans and carry out any political party sponsored activities on the university campuses. The law will also be applicable in case of government colleges," the UGC chairman told The Daily Star yesterday.
He said the draft law will have provisions to punish anybody if he or she ignores the law.
The students and teachers will however be allowed to be involved in 'limited' politics, which will be related to education and improvement of academic atmosphere, Prof Asaduzzaman said, adding that the draft law will also have provisions to allow students and teachers to be involved in political activities if the country faces a critical moment.
It has been found that the quality of education at the university level is gradually deteriorating due to the prevailing students' and teachers' politics, he said.
"We hope, the present caretaker government will take effective measures to enact the law to ban dirty politics of students and teachers at the universities. It is time to enact such a law as no political government has brought the desired reform regarding campus politics," said the UGC chairman, who recently discussed the issue with the education adviser.
"Student politics lost its glory long ago. It has turned into a dirty means of student leaders for making money through extortion in various ways. Student politics has also triggered violence on the campus."
"Once the law is enacted, the UGC will also consider the atmosphere and quality of education in case of granting annual allocation for a university. The university with suitable atmosphere for education will be granted more allocation," Asaduzzaman said.

Law Adviser Mainul Hosein also said yesterday that partisan politics of students as well as the teachers must be stopped.
The University Ordinance of 1973 will be amended to curb freedom of teachers to be involved in politics, said sources in the seven-member committee that is drafting the law.
Once the government enacts the law, student organisations of Awami League, BNP and other political parties will have to cut their relations with those political parties.
The draft of the law would be sent for opinion to different students' and teachers' organisations, the UGC chairman said.
When asked to comment on the move, former president of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) and also a leader of pro-Awami League teachers' body Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said the politics of students and teachers should be de-linked from partisan politics.
He however said the rights of students and teachers to be involved in politics should not be curtailed for the interest of the society.

Present DUTA President and also a leader of pro-BNP teachers' body Prof Sadrul Amin said they are not directly involved with the politics of any political party although they have the right to be so. "No teachers should be involved in sycophantic politics and student politics should be de-linked from partisan politics," he said.

__________________They said, "After we turn into bones and fragments, we get resurrected anew?!" Say, "Even if you turn into rocks or iron.[17:49-50] |Wiki: Cold Fusion occurring via quatum tunnelling in ~101500 years makes everything into iron.

Looks like the Army is slowly taking over the country and entering politics, so far good things are being done, but have to wait and see what the meaning of 'our own brand of democracy' actually means when it is coming from a CAS who is supposed to be a temporary place holder before the election.

After reading the entire report I am high lighting some stuff and would comment on those:

"When asked to comment on the move, former president of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) and also a leader of pro-Awami League teachers' body Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said the politics of students and teachers should be de-linked from partisan politics."

and

"Present DUTA President and also a leader of pro-BNP teachers' body Prof Sadrul Amin said they are not directly involved with the politics of any political party although they have the right to be so. "No teachers should be involved in sycophantic politics and student politics should be de-linked from partisan politics," he said."

Chor'er ma'r boro gola.

__________________
The Weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the Strong." - Gandhi.

The big question is, even though campus politics is banned, some of the anticipated results may not be achieved. Banning campus politics will lead politics lovers to take it outside the campus...that will only help achieve the reduction of missed sessions/years for many students. But will that help guide the students from participating in political activities elsewhere? No.

I agree with Miraz bhai. Actually, I think they need to draw a line. They should say that students are eligible to take part in politics only after a certain age...say 23 years. And that also must happen outside the campus.

The age part is necessary I believe. Otherwise, anybody regardless of their age may get involved...and that's the sad reality at the moment. We want to keep the young guys out of it. And the law should extend to fine and/or imprisonment (say for 1 month) if students break the law.

Political student organizations were always unnecessary. University students could always directly participate in politics. There is no law in the country that prevents adult students from joining political parties.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kabir
I agree with Miraz bhai. Actually, I think they need to draw a line. They should say that students are eligible to take part in politics only after a certain age...say 23 years. And that also must happen outside the campus.

What is the basis of defining a magic number like 23? If a citizen is entitled to vote, he is also entitled to join in politics. Adult students should have right to join in politics, just like they have right of doing other jobs apart from academic studies.

Not that I think joining politics is an ideal thing for a student to do, but the laws should be fair and logical.

Originally Posted by Kabir
I agree with Miraz bhai. Actually, I think they need to draw a line. They should say that students are eligible to take part in politics only after a certain age...say 23 years. And that also must happen outside the campus.

Most of these "students" are buira dhamras anyway. Let's not make up complicated rules. Politics should be out of educational instituitions unless it's a part of that education.

BTW the Robin I am thinking abt... i rammed his vista frm behind by mistake and then he nd his friends chased my car. After I stopped about 10 of them got out frm two cars and started to ask me all maastani kotha.... all i said was jodi kichu khoti hoye thake ami diye dibo.. then all 10 of them got in their car nd went away...tht was the first time i met him....